Live data from Hacker News

Sleepbox

sleepbox.com

51–60 of 149 posts

Re: Sleepbox

#52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Heavy fines get difficult when the buyer can deny the charges. Chargebacks are very expensive for the merchant; not only are there penalty charges on top of the refund ($25 seems to be typical) but credit card processors will refuse to do business with you if you get enough of them.

How about a video camera inside the "box"? Or would that be too invasive for most people? Maybe you could just take "before" and "after" pictures?

But once you have those pictures what do you do? Take them to court?

Re: Sleepbox

#54
post #28

In Japan we have long had 'coffin hotels' (or 'capsule hotels', pre-Neuromancer). We also have love hotels, which are expressly designed to be rented for two hours at a time to do whatever nasty, sticky business you can convince somebody to do with you. The changing the linens and whatnot are solved problems. (Some businessman-oriented places have a sealed plastic bag of bedclothes hung in the room... you have to do…

Actually, Yotel already do this:

http://www.yotel.com/

I've used the Yotel inside the international transit area at Schiphol for jet lag purposes, during a 5-hour stopover on an intercontinental flight; it beats a recliner in a business lounge into a cocked hat for thouse 4-hour dead spots after a sleepless red-eye. I wish this idea would catch on at more hub airports!

Re: Sleepbox

#55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How about a video camera inside the "box"? Or would that be too invasive for most people? Maybe you could just take "before" and "after" pictures?

But once you have those pictures what do you do? Take them to court?

Would you have to go to court to dispute the chargeback? Couldn't you set up some kind of system to send them to the credit card company if a customer attempts a chargeback, so they can verify that the chargeback is invalid?

Re: Sleepbox

#56

"Single, double and triple Sleepbox units are available at prices starting at EUR 7,000 ($8600). With an average annual income of USD 30,000 per unit, investments pay back in six to nine months, the company says." From: http://www.springwise.com/lifestyle_leisure/sleepbox-helps-t...

Assuming a 100% load factor, and assuming someone is on hand to change the linen and keep it clean.

Being more realistic, it might be cash-flow positive from the start and turn a profit after the first year, if you put it somewhere popular and get the cleaning/maintenance routine nailed down with decent cost control in place.

Re: Sleepbox

#57
you could potentially integrate physiological sensors to monitor for occupant numbers and elevated heart and breathing rates to detect for sexual activity, then have some sort of warning, alarm and deterrence system if you were interested in preventing it from happening. or customers who use the pod for sex could automatically be billed a premium/fee (assuming credit card use). molecular sniffers might be possible to monitor for drug use. but the best strategy to ensure would probably be deploying them in limited-access environments. or perhaps fixing the roots of anti-social behaviour and mistrust in our societies.

Re: Sleepbox

#58
post #11

Even if the pod is somewhat automated (e.g. linens are somehow changed without human intervention), you're not going to be able to get around the fact that you'll need someone to collect the dirty linens once in a while and replenish. And really, the tired business executive is the ideal customer ... but you're probably more likely to get a bunch of less-than-ideal customers whose actions inside the pod are going to…

man, the lack of trust in modern (esp. american) society is just... awful.

alternatively, the lack of communal feeling and shame, that leads people to do things like trashing hotel rooms, is just awful.

Re: Sleepbox

#59

you could potentially integrate physiological sensors to monitor for occupant numbers and elevated heart and breathing rates to detect for sexual activity, then have some sort of warning, alarm and deterrence system if you were interested in preventing it from happening. or customers who use the pod for sex could automatically be billed a premium/fee (assuming credit card use). molecular sniffers might be possible to…

I can't wait to see the YC startups pitching plans to fix anti-social behaviour... NerveStaple (YC25) harmonizes us all to the Great Leader!
Post reply on HN